The Miami Dolphins didn't land the biggest offensive lineman prize on Friday, losing out on center Olin Kreutz when the Pro Bowl center opted to return to the Chicago Bears, but that didn't mean the team wasn't busy adding another blocker to the mix.

Although the contract is not yet signed, the team reached agreement with 10-year veteran Leon Searcy on a one-year deal worth $750,000. The contract enables Miami to take advantage of a new rule that gives teams salary cap relief when they sign an older veteran to a minimum deal.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said he had similar offers from Atlanta and Washington, and a visit lined up with Buffalo, but that his client feels at home in South Florida.

"All things being equal, this is where he wanted to be, and it was going to take a heck of an offer from someone else to change his mind," Rosenhaus said. "There's no state tax here, Leon is a resident, and he has a lot of friends in the area."

If healthy, which he has not been since 1999, Searcy provides the Dolphins depth at tackle and at guard. Being able to land a proven performer at minimal cost is certainly a luxury for the team.

Searcy, 32, missed the entire 2000 season in Jacksonville after tearing his right quadriceps on the first day of summer training camp. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, and was viewed as a major upgrade at right tackle, then sustained a torn triceps. Essentially he has not played in a game since Jan. 10, 2000, a playoff loss to the New York Jets.

In his prime, however, Searcy was a prototype right tackle, a 320-pound earthmover who could knock defenders off the line of scrimmage. A former first-round choice of Pittsburgh in 1992, he has played in 126 games and started 111 and played in the 1999 Pro Bowl.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.